Transformation Thurrock : St Cedds Rocks Thurrock!

St Cedd Rocks Thurrock!

Last Friday evening (20 May), Rock Thurrock Prayer reached Stifford Clays in the north Grays area. Hosted by Rev Andy Higgs, some 25 people attended for an evening of intense prayer for the project and young people of the area.

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There was a sense prophetic release over the evening. The songs that Andy had chosen opened the way for this, and things that were said subsequently were like blocks on that foundation.

Lydia Field, co-pastor at Aveley Christian Centre, said that Thurrock was entering “a new season, a fresh season”. The borough’s name would be changed from “death to life”. “Just as the living waters are rising in you,” said Lydia, “the living waters will also rise in Thurrock”.

Rock Thurrock Core Team Leader Colin Baker (pastor at Grays Baptist Church and chair of Transformation Thurrock) read from Isaiah 45:1-6, which contains the idea of naming, along with the themes of opening up treasure stores, equipping for battle, and being made known as God’s.

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
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"I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the LORD,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other."
(English Standard Bible version)

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Transformation Thurrock’s Tim Harrold reminded those present of the appropriateness of Rock Thurrock being hosted in a church building named after Essex's own Celtic saint and missionary, St Cedd. He also talked about the origins of Thurrock’s name and that the vision has long been to see this name changed to ‘fresh water’ - to see streams of the Holy Spirit flush away the dirt and grime with redemption, healing, salvation, and love.

Tim read out a word that Andy Acreman of Thurrock Christian Fellowship (TCF) gave on Tuesday 21 November 2006:

"From a valley of bones, dried in the sun,
To an army of warriors, in a war that is won...
From a desert of despair to a lush valley of pools and springs...
From isolated fortresses of precious traditions
To an open-handed unity of glorious hope...

I am changing my church, says the Builder and Architect;
I am again breathing life into my Beloved, says the Lord, her Lover;
And though you are dry and your walls are broken down -
I am already rebuilding, watering, blessing, uniting.
Church of Thurrock, the door is again open to revival,
To an awakening of the people, to miracles and healings.
And thousands upon thousands will visit you,
To know this blessing for themselves -
And to seek The Source.
I will restore the Holy City to greatness
And my glorious presence will be found within.
So, son, daughter, seek me, wait on me, obey me,
And pray in faith-filled expectation of the Day of My Power!"

Andy Blakey (TCF) added that Grays had at one time been known as the ‘Holy City’ because of the amount of believers who lived there and churches in the town. It was possible to buy a bus ticket to the ‘Holy City’ and you’d be taken to Grays.

From this, we began praying into the following areas of the Rock Thurrock project:

The Christian Life & Witness Course - Andy Blakey
FM419 - Alan Field (pastor at Aveley Christian Centre)
Finance - Alex Day (of Aveley Christian Centre - Rock Thurrock’s Treasurer & Fundraiser)
Community Action Projects - Edwin Hughes (of Grays Baptist Church and original Rock Thurrock instigator)
LZ7 in local schools - Caroline Smith (of Fresh Hope Community and Rock Thurrock Schools’Co-ordinator) For LZ7 stuff, see http://www.lz7.co.uk.

There were sheets for people to write their prayers, words, thoughts and comments on, and everyone took home a Rock Thurrock rock - a stone! - to put in their pockets to remind them to pray for Rock Thurrock (if you want one, please contact Tim Harrold).

Below is a precis of what Edwin said about the Community Action Projects, in his own words:

“The perfume of Christ is the fragrance of any and all social action.”
(Billy Graham - Peace With God)

As we are working with Billy Graham Ministries on this project a quote from the great man himself seems a highly appropriate way to launch the Community Action Projects’ part of the Rock Thurrock Programme.

One of the most attractive parts of the programme for me when I first saw it was that there would be an opportunity to be able to reach out into our own community with acts of service that would get us closer to the people we are trying to reach for Christ.

It gives us the opportunity to fulfi the directive of Isaiah 58:6-11 and Matthew 25:35-40 and worship God and follow the commandments of Jesus by helping those in need - to reach the least, the last and the lost through acts of compassion and kindness.

Rock Thurrock Community Action Projects consists of two separate initiatives.

Besom Projects
These projects offer the opportunity for the young people of all the churches in Thurrock to get together in groups of about five to carry out decorating and gardening projects with Besom. This will offer the young people the chance to do acts of service for those in the community who are struggling to cope and need a helping hand. It will also give them opportunities to not only share their faith in action but hopefully offer up opportunities to share their faith in conversations with those they are helping.

Environmental Clean Up Project (Litter Pick)
This project offers the opportunity for the whole of the church in Thurrock to demonstrate it's love for the community and it's care for the environment.

We originally planned to do this at Davy Down but someone has just cleaned up there so I took that as a sign from God that we should look to go somewhere else. He kept pointing me in the direction of Purfleet with the feeling that these we're the forgotten people and we needed to bring them out of exile from there far flung and often overlooked part of the borough. Purfleet had not to date been included in any Rock Thurrock initiative and it seemed appropriate that we should do so.

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It also occurred to me that when the River flows out the first place that fresh water flows into the borough is Purfleet. Therefore it seems the perfect place to start a cleansing process both spiritually and physically.

The local forum in Purfleet seem to be open to joining us in this project so there is a massive opportunity to forge links with this community for the future and to demonstrate the love of Christ to a section of it right now.

Hopefully you can also have conversations that will offer up the opportunity to witness using the skills developed through the Christian Life and Witness courses. If you haven't signed up for that yet then please make sure you do so that you can develop the skills to required to help you make the most of this opportunity.

More info about the Rock Thurrock Community Action Projects to follow.

Tim Harrold with Edwin Hughes, 25/05/2011